Apparatus for controlling the speed of steam-engines.



A. C. ROBERTSON, A. C. MURRAY & W. W. SMITH. APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE SPEED OF STEAM ENGINES.

" APPLICATION FILED mic. I9, I9II. I 1,184,21 3. Patented May 23, 1916.

Jay. 6.

ALEXANDER. coLiN MURRAY, ANn WILLIAM LEXANDER .coPLANn nonnnrs'oN;

' WALTER; SMITH, onrrr Anm NEw z ALA n, AssIer ons To run ROBERTSON MARINE ENGINE BRAKnooMrA Y, LIMITED, or. TIMARU, NEW Z A AND, A comjronA'rro 01: NE znA A'Nn. {.1 7

To all whom it may concern Be-it known that we, ROBERTSON, ALEXANDER C LIN MURRAY, and WILLIAM. WALTER SMITH, all citizensof the sfDominion of New 'Zealand, and residing at .Timaru,

in the Provincial District of Canterbury,

Steam-Engines, 0f Whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates 'to 'apparatus used for controlling ,the. speed .offsteam engines, motors and other machineryand provides improved apparatus for this purpose. According hereto, a brake strap is madein two parts hinged together at the front, and carriesbrake blocks surrounding or partially surrounding the main shaft or a pulley -fixed upon the said shaft. The hinge pin asses through brackets and forms a pivot orthe brake strap. The rear ends of the strap are pivoted to levers fulcrumed in brackets, and having theirends coupled by links to acrosshead, which is' fixed to a pis- .ton rod.

nected directly to the levers.

fixed at one end to the cylinder and at the other end to the brackets .of, the lever. A

l governor receiving motion. from the main shaft has its spindle connected by a bell v crank lever to a valve for admitting, in the case of a steam engine, steam to the back of A [the piston, and 'a-bracket projecting from thecrosshead operates a relief valve to. allow the .piston to'make, its return stroke.- When the shaft attains a predetermined speed, the

.governor operates its valve to admitsteam H V by pins 24. and 25 directly to levers l2 and '13,

.to the rear end of. the cylinder, the piston is forced forward and the brake is applied,

and the relief valve is operated to admit" steam tothefront end. of the cylinder, and

to equalize the pressure on the two sides of I close ajport 35 opening to a steam supply thepiston. I I

The eflect of admitting steam to thefro'nt end .of the cylinder, after the brake has been applied by steam at the rear end ofzthe cyl .inder,is to keepthe'pressure of the brake fully applied to a predetermined extentand i ,no more, .whilethe steam at the front end of Specification of Letters Patent.

ALEXANDER COPLAND.

. Dominion of New Zealand,'have inj vented certainnew and usefullmprovements r -in Apparatusfor Controlling the Speed .of

. In a modification, the brake blocks are not" mounted. ona strap as described, but are con- The crosshead slides upon a guide bar ArP nA'r s ron co 'rnonm e THn-srnEn or STEAM-ENGINES.

. the cylinder is readyto release the brake in- 7 l/Vhen the speed of theshaft is reduced to I normal, the governor .cuts off steamfrom,

and opens the exhaust at the rear end of the cylinder thus allowing thepressure at the front 0 the cylinderto force the piston back and release the brake. i The return of the bracket on the crosshead closes the relief valve and opensit's exhaust, and the mecha- ,,nism is then in position for acting again.

Compressed, air, water under pressure or vacuum can besubstituted for steam power.

The drawing herewith illustrates the invention as adapted tobe operated by steam.

I Patented May 23, 1916. Application filed December 19, 1911. Serial 110,666,652.

Figure 1, is a side elevation, and Fig. 2, is

a plan of the apparatus, Fig. 3, is a sectional planrof the cylinderpn line AA, Fig. 1. Fig. 4, across sectionon line BB, Fig. 1, Fig. 5, a side elevation of regulating mechanism, Fig. 6, a cross section on line -CC,

Fig. 5, Fig. 7, an elevation of brake shoes attached directly to levers.

The brake strap, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises an upper part 1 and lower 'part 2 hinged together upon a pin 3 pivoted in a bracket 4. The brake is provided with fric- 7 tion blocks 5zsurrounding a drum 6 fixed to the shaft 7, which itis desired to control. In

some cases the blocks are applieddirectly to the shaft instead of'to a drum as just described. The rear end of the straps 1 and 2 are pivoted to levers 12, and 13 fulcrumed by pins Hand 15. upon brackets 16. The rear ends of the levers 12 and 13 are coupled by links 17 and 18 to acrosshead 19 fixed upon the end of 'a' piston rod 20, and guided by bars 21.

Fig. '1 showsbrake'shoes 22 and 23 pivoted the brake strap being dispensed with. I, The piston 30v of the rod 20 Works .in a cylinder 81. A steam valve 32 slidable in thevalve chest 33has a head 34 adapted to pipe 36 and a port 37 opening to the cylinder the cylinder in communication with an exhaust port 43 in the valve chest. When the shaft 7 has attained a predetermined speed v the governor 38 operates its spindle 44ancl "forces the pistoir30'f0rWard. The-links 7-17 and. 18, which with the" levers 12and raises" the I Valve 32 by means 10f the bell]. crank lever 45; Steam passes fromfthe port around thegroove 41 and through .the'po'rt 37 to therearend of the cylinder 3l'and form a toggle P are. operated and the brake applied to the drum 6. {The bracket ltipro jecting from the crosshe'ad 19 carries ascrey'vj'threaded rod 51 adjustable by means oflock nutsx47 and 48 .;1'A bell crank lever end tother0d51 and, atthe other end to the; V

spindle 54 of a' relief valve 55 constructed 'and adapted to' close ports similar to' the sure atthe back'th'ereof; Q

' The application "of the brakereducesthe speed of the shaft; and the governors .re- ,ve'rsehthe operation-of the valve 32 maxhaus't the steam -from the rear side of'the I piston; The pressure {at the frontl of the cylinder forces the; piston rearwardly, and

the lever 49 being released by the return stroke of the bracket 46, the relief val ve 55 opens to the exhaust and-ane the steam to escape from thje front of the cylinder.

a s The parts are thus-restoredto" their original l positions and 0 1 *toi'operate the bra-k atingh 7 1 I Referring no'wtoFigs. 5' and 6,, the*spindle 44 is shown witha slot having iupon ondition ready for lire-operonesicle arack 61, .wherewith meshes a pin Y ion 62 fixed tOftlie Spindle- 63 O f a'hafidf Wheelf64. The slotted end me beriesgof"- t'he rod-is connected to the" spindle proper a;

l '44 b'ya j0int"66. Thefaceofthe 'spindleis markedfith Fa "scale 67, thenumbers whereon indicate the number of revolutions or the miles per hour at which 7 the shaft" is set to Work QBy operatingitheihand Wheel and adjusting the spindle'44 inrelat'i' orrfto the bell crank lever 45 the speedof rotation isvariedi-as desired. The hand Wheel 64 aiid' 50- pin'ioni62 are-locked by means'of a spring operatedrbolt'or slide having an operat ing handle 71. The bolt is adapted to en-j "gage: slots 72 formed around the circumferfenc'eflo'f a dislcYtQthe endea'tf the spindle'44 f V i When atmospheric pressure 1s' employedy alve 32 opens the-back-of the cylinder to "pivoted; SQ-{iand "the "upperkend ofthis '.fions'orspeed'ofthejengine.

' WVhat'fWedo claim and desireft0- secureii' by LettersPatent ofjthe United 'stateszisz comprlsing in combination, a fluid press gtverning-l' device} for ;,adniitting fj uid ztolsaid icylinder on one-sideofsaidfpi to cause actuation of said ibrakihg mea V 2 fandi adjustable means o'perated byfsaid 'pis e, the construction is prer v :ton iforr' automatica11yadmitting fluid to-said' fifcisfely similar toitheconstruction used when Z it {after a redeterininedlrnoyementof th the exception that the 'ixhaust-portf li inthe icas'ebfboth valves 32-,an'd 5 iis tgconneeted a 'byia' pipeto anfair exhaustertlof anyfordi' c r o I f Theioperation "is then .a sifollowsae'l he r operable -jby-saidpiston,a'gbverniiig device 1 actuate the and-the opens the iront of the jcylindergtd the exhaust/er, thus placing" the "piston injequilibrium; Thei'goy- 4 ernoroperatesthe valve1'32 When the prede- .terrriinedfjspeed hasb en a ta ned; th by 75-0 '7 Opening theiback of the cylinder to atmos-f pher-ic" pressure fand shutting ofi theair ex-fl liaustenfthe brake being thereby applied.

t -t'Tlie relief valve 55 is operated by, themovement of the crosshead as ipreviously described, andthefrOnt of the cylinder opened;

to the atmespher'e while the openingof the '1 44ifen'gag'esfthe .low'er endof Ea lever- 81 lever "has; a r-slot 83iengaging a "pin- 84' :pro-

jecting fsoma bl'ock 85l slidablein guide ,86 carried: by the frame 78, spindle77 =mquntedjinthisframe 78 jfcarries a drum 76 J 1 on Y Whicha "suitablyfmarked sheet of paper 190 V may befarr'anged; saidg'spindl'e ,being 'rotated I a "by suitable chronometer -mechanism notshown); --The block '85 carriesa pencil jor otheii marking instrument; Which records on the paper sheetgthe numbrlof revoluf I 1. Apparatus of the nature indicated? comprising in c0mbinaticn, la' fluid pressure 1'00; fcylinder, a pistontherein, braking means op; {erable' by said piston-ya governing device'ae' tuate'd according to the, speed 0f th'eQmachineryto' be I controlled; mean's' 'f controlled by said governing Jdev'ice for-admitting fluid 19 7 to. said cylinderf'on' one side of said piston," 1 to-causeactuat'ion-of said braking 1rI,1e .1S, V

'{ and means o eratedby said piston foraut'ot "matiCaHy' adInitting fluid to 'saidcylinder.

on the other'sideof said piston; aftefa'p'fedetermined movementof r the piston, h :7 i Apparatus of the nature' indicatedg' cylinder, a pistontherein, braking' rnean's up 'erable by said piston a governing' deyice acmated-according "to the-"speed 1 of" the fin l chineny to be controlled, meansfcontrolled. y'

r sing in c I H a p stenithereln, ibrakmg means ylin' er,

c d -j espee er mama- 13 mitting fluid to said cylinder, on one side j said cylinder on ton, after, a predetermined movement of the cylinder,

1 said valve.

chinery to be controlled, means controlled by said governing vdevice for admitting fluid to said cylinder, on one side of said piston, to cause actuation of said braking means, and valve means operatedby said piston for automatically admitting fluid to said cylinder on the other side of said piston, after a predetermined movement of the piston. f

4. Apparatus of the naturedndicated, comprising in combination, a fluid pressure cylinder, a piston therein, braking means operable by said piston, a governing device actuated according to the speed of the machinery to be controlled, adjustable means controlled by said governing device for adof said piston, to cause actuation of said braking means, and means operated by'said piston for automatically admitting fluidto the other side of'said pispiston. v

5. Apparatus of the nature indicated, comprising in combination, a fluid pressure operable by said piston, a valve. for controlling the admission of fluid to said cylinder on one side of said piston, a rod connected to said valve, a lever connected to saidrod, a second rod adjustably connected 7 to said lever, and a governingv device ac- V tuated according'to the speed of the machinery to be controlled, said device operating through said rods and lever to control Apparatus of the nature indicated,

'7 comprising in combination, a fluid pressure cylinder, .a piston therein, braking means operable by said piston, a governing device a piston therein, braking means.

actuated according to the speed of the ma- 7 said plmon and means for rotating said pinion on said rack, to adjust the lever relatively to the governing-device.

7. Apparatus of the nature indicated,

compr sing in combination, a fluid pressure cylinder, a piston therein, a crosshead con- 7 nected to said piston, braking means operable by, said crosshead, a governing device actuated according to the speed of the machinery to be controlled, means controlled bysaid governing device for admitting fluid to saidcylinder on one side of said piston, to causeactuation of said braking means, a rod adjustably connected to said crosshead, a pivoted lever connected at one end to said rpd, and a valve connected to the other end of said'lever for admitting fluid to said cylinder on the other side of said piston.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two witnesses. v

ALEXANDER COPLAND ROBERTSON. ALEXANDER COLIN MURRAY. WILLIAM WALTER SMITH.

Witness to the signatures of Alexander Copland Robertson:

J. J. WATSON, C. BALFOUR MELVILLE.

Witness to the signatures of Alexander H. H. FRASER, A. WORTHINGTON.

come; of this patent may be obtained for he cents each, by addremn: the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, 10.0." 

